Oscillation generator



Aug. 2, 1938. BOWMAN-MANIFOLD ET AL O SCILLATION GENERATOR g Filed May 14, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR MIC HAH BOWMAN MAN/FOLD MZZ SPENCER ATTO RN EY ROLF E BY Aug. 2, 1938.

M. BOWMAN-MANIFOLD ET AL 4 2,125,732

OSCILLATION GENERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1936 INVENTOR MICHAEL BOWMAN-MAN/FOLD BY ROLF EIDMIUND SPENCER M km...

ATTORN EY for synchronizing purposes in many television of the-cessation of said synchronizing signals, said Patented Aug. 2, 1938 2,125,332

UNITED STATES PATENTJOFFI'ECE OSCILLATION GENERATOR Michael Bowman-Manifold, Worplesdon Station, and Rolf Edmund Spencer, London, England, assignors to Electric & Musical Industries Lim ited, Hayes, Middlesex, England, a corporation of Great Britain Application May 14, 1936, Serial No. 79,652

a In Great Britain May 30,1935

3 Claims. (oi. 250 36),

The present invention relates to electric oscilis clearly a disadvantagein television systems, lation generators, and is particularly concerned sincelit causes distortion of the reproducedpicwith generators of the kind which are adapted to ture, and it is an object of the present invenbe controlled in frequency by synchronizing or tion to avoid or reduce the tendency of oscilla- 5 other signals. tion generators of the kind specified, such, for

Among generators of the kinds referred to are, example, as blocking oscillators, to run slow in the generators of the reactance-resistance type, eX- absence of synchronizing impulses. amples of which are blocking oscillators and According to the present invention, in a genmultivibrators. erator of the kind specified, having a natural Reactance-resistance generators can be made frequency of in cycles per second, which is adapt- 10 to run very accurately in phase with applied syn- ,ed to be controlled by synchronizing or other sigchronizing impulses, but it is usually found in nals of a different frequency of 11 cycles per practice that the natural frequency must be made second, means are provided whereby,- when the considerably lower than the synchronous fresynchronizing signals cease, the generator is 15 quency. This is largely due to the fact that, such caused: at least initially to run at a frequency 15 generators usually comprise a discharge device closer to T1 than to in. such as a thermionic valve,the operating poten- According to a feature of the invention,;in a tials of which. may vary considerably in use. :generator of the kind specified, having a natural Thus in generators of this type, the natural frefrequency of in cycles per second which is adaptquency differs from the synchronousfrequency, ed to be controlled by y n 0 ot er 20 l and in the absence of controlling impulses, the --signals of ff r n eq n y f f1 yc s-p generator tends to run slow. r second, thereis provided a reactance adapted to As an example of reactance-resistance=,genbe charged by said generator, the change in-the .erator, a blocking oscillator of a kind employed energy stored insaid reactance when, on account systemsmay be considered. A blocking oscillator I generator ceases to run at the, frequency f1, being comprises essentially a condenser arranged to employed to maintain the frequency of oscillation charge up substantially rectilinearly through a closer tofithanto f0. resistance, and a thermionic valve so arranged It will be clear that in a generator such as a that the condenser can discharge through the ,blocking oscillator, for example, the potential to 3 anode-cathode path of the valve. The control which the condenser across which the oscillation grid circuit of the latter comprises afcondenser .is generated charges up is higherin the absence and leak resistance, which determine the natural of synchronizing impulses than when such imfrequency of the generator, and a reaction coupulses are present; that is, the oscillation is of pling is provided between the anode or screening greater amplitude as well as a lower frequency, 35

grid circuit and the control grid circuit. and the present invention, in one aspect, makes At the end of each cycle, the grid-circuit conuse of this increase of amplitude. r denser receives a negative charge which biases According to a further, feature ,ofithe present the control grid to a potential more negative than invention, in an oscillation generator comprising that corresponding to anode current cut-off; this a condenser arranged to charge up from a source charge leaks away through the leak resistance, ofpotential and discharging means adapted to be but before the grid potential reaches a value at i controlled by applied impulses periodically to diswhich anode current can flow, a synchronizing charge said condenser, there are provided auximpulse is usually applied to the grid in such a iliary means arranged to ,come into operation .145 sense as to drive its potential in the positive diwhen the potential across said condenser exceeds; l

absence of synchronizing impulses than when to may take the form of a second condenser asrection and initiate the flow of anode current. i a predetermined value to initiate the discharge From the above description, it will be clear that of said condenser. I the frequency of the saw-toothoscillationset up The discharging means maycomprise a blockacross the anode-circuit condenser is lower in the ing oscillator valve; the auxiliary means referred such impulses are present." That is to say,.when sociated with a uni-directionallyconducting dethe synchronizingimpulses are absent, the oscilvice, the arrangement being such that when the lator runs slow. Furthermore,.when the impulses generator tends to run slow, a pulse of current recommence, several cycles elapse before the osflows into the second condenser, this pulse being cillator is once moreheldin synchronism. This utilized to initiate the discharge of the firstc0n 55 denser, for example by actuating the discharging means.

Several embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are circuit diagrams illustrating arrangements according to the invention, and

Figs. 4 and 5 show modifications of the arrangement of Fig. 3.

Like parts in the several figures are given the same reference numerals. I

Referring to Fig. 1, a blocking oscillator comprises a tetrode valve I having its anode connected through a resistance 2 to a source (not shown) of anode current, the negative terminal of which is connected to the cathode of the valve. The control grid of valve I is connected to its cathode through a condenser 3 and a coupling coil 4 in series, and through a variable leak resistance 5. The screening grid is connected through a coil 6 which is coupled to coil 4 to a point at a suitable positive potential in the anode current source.

Connected between the anode and cathode of valve I is a condenser I across which, in operation, a saw-tooth oscillation is generated; this oscillation is taken off by means of lead 8 and may be applied, for example, to an amplifying valve having the scanning coils of a cathode ray tube in its anode circuit. Synchronizing impulses may be fed to the valve I from terminals 9.

The anode of valve I is also connected through a coupling coil III to the anode of a diode valve I I, the cathode of which is connected to the cathode of valve I through a condenser I2 shunted by a high-resistance leak I3.

The operation of this arrangement is as follows: As the condenser 1 charges up, the condenser I2 also charges up through diode II, the charge on condenser I2 leaking away relatively slowly through'the high resistance leak I3. During every cycle of charging of condenser 1, condenser I2 receives a charge, and eventually a steady state is reached in which the generator is running at synchronous speed under the control of applied synchronizing impulses, condenser I2 receiving charge only at the peaks of the saw-tooth oscillation set up across condenser I. I

If now the generator tends to run slow, due for example to cessation of the synchronizing impulses, the amplitude of the saw-tooth oscillation tends to increase, and at the peak of the first uncontrolled cycle of oscillation, a pulse of charging current of a value greater than the average steady state value flows to the condenser I2. This pulse of current flows through winding III, which is coupled to winding 4, and there is thus induced in the control grid circuit of valve I a voltage pulse which is arranged to drive the control grid in the positive sense, thus initiating the flow of current in valve I. The generator is thus prevented from oscillating at a frequency substantially less than the synchronous frequency.

In some cases, it is found necessary to amplify the pulse produced by the flow of charging current to condenser I2 when the generator tends to run slow, before applying it to the grid circuit of valve I. Fig. 2, however, shows a modification of the arrangement of Fig. 1 in which such amplification is usually unnecessary.

Referring to Fig. 2, the anode of valve I is connected to the control grid of a triode valve I4 having its anode connected to a point at a suitable positive potential in the anode current source, and its cathode connected to the cathode of valve I through a resistance I5. The cathode of valve I4 is connected to the anode of diode II through coil III. The potential of the cathode of valve I4 follows that of the control grid, and by a suitable choice of the value of resistance I5, the range of grid potential variation. The operation of this arrangement is substantially the same as that of the arrangement of Fig. 1, but the condenser I2 and resistance I3 may be made of lower impedance, and the current pulses in the diode will be larger.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the diode II is omitted and the condenser I2 and highresistance leak I3 are connected in the cathode circuit of valve I4, the anode of which is connected to a point in the anode current source through coupling coil II]. It is arranged that, in the steady state referred to above, the grid of the valve I4 is biased relative to its cathode by the charge on condenser I2 to a potential just greater than that corresponding to anode current cut-off, and current accordingly flows in the valve I4 on the peaks of the saw-tooth oscillation. When the generator tends to run slow, the current in valve I4 tends to increase, and the resultant pulse in the coil I0 is arranged to initiate the flow of current in valve I.

The coupling coil I0 may be dispensed with, the anode of valve I4 being connected to the screening grid of valve I, as shown in Fig. 4. In this arrangement, when a pulse of current of sufficient amplitude flows in the valve I4, the potential of the screening grid of valve I is made less positive to an extent suificient to initiate the flow of current in valve I.

In a further modification ofFig. 3, shown in Fig. 5, the end of condenser I2 remote from the cathode of valve I4 is connected to the control grid end of coil 4, the anode of valve I4 being connected as before to a point in the anode current source. When current flows in the valve I4, the control grid of valve I is given a positive pulse, which can initiate the fiow of current in valve I.

Since in practice the condenser I2 is an elfective short circuit to the blocking oscillation generated between the control and screening grids of valve I, the coil 4 may, if desired, also be connected in series between the cathode of the valve I4 and the cathode side of the condenser I2, the other side of the latter being in this case connected directly to the cathode of valve I.

In all cases, the time constant of the condenser and resistance I2, I3 should be so chosen that only a small charge is lost by condenser I2 during each cycle, and so that the charge lost is replaced during a small fraction only, that is, during the peak, of each cycle. In other words, the leak resistance I3 should in practice be given a suitable high value. Furthermore, in the case of a generator employed for the generation of line frequency oscillations in a television system, if for any reason the condenser I2 receives an excess charge when a framing impulse is received, the time constant of circuit I 2, I3 must be such that the whole of this excess charge is dissipated before the next framing impulse is received.

Although for convenience the application of the invention to blocking oscillators has been described, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited, but can be applied to many other forms of generator, such for example as those in which grid-controlled gas-filled discharge tubes are employed periodically to discharge a condenser.

We claim:

1. An oscillation generator comprising an electron discharge tube certain electrodes of which are interconnected through a reactance and a resistor, said generator being independently operable to deliver impulses at a predetermined natural frequency, a source of driving impulses of a second predetermined frequency higher than the frequency first mentioned, means responsive to impulses from said source for driving said generator synchronously therewith, and means including a uni-directionally conductive device in circuit with said reactance-resistor combination for increasing the natural frequency of said generator to a value commensurate with that of said secondpredetermined frequency, the last said means being responsive to a failure of the first said means to receive 'the driving impulses.

2. A blocking oscillator having a characteristic such that it operates independently to deliver impulses at a predetermined cyclic frequency slower than, a certain frequency at which it is intended to be driven from an outside source of synchronizing signals, a reactance-resistance combination in circuit with said oscillator, means cooperative with said oscillator and with said outside source for causing cyclic charges of a predetermined value to be built up on said reactance, thereafter to be discharged through said resistance, and means rendered operable by a cessation of signals from said source whereby the reactance-resistance combination is caused to accelerate the oscillator above its predetermined independent frequency.

3. A blocking oscillator having a characteristic such that it operates independently to deliver impulses at a predetermined cyclic frequency slower than a certain frequency at which it is intended to be driven from an outside source of synchronizing signals, a reactance-resistance combination in circuit with said oscillator, means co-operative with said oscillator and with said outside source for causing cyclic charges of a predetermined value to be built up on said reactance, thereafter to be discharged through said resistance, a unidirectional conducting device, means including a second reactance-resistance combination in circuit with said unidirectional conducting device, the last said means being rendered operable by the cessation of signals from said source to cause an impulse of current to pass through said unidirectional conducting device, and means rendered simultaneously operable to apply said impulse to said reactanceresistance combination in circuit with said oscillator.

MICHAEL BOWMAN-MANIFOLD. ROLF EDMUND SPENCER. 

